Aerial Photographer's Mate Second Class MacPherson was a crew member of a PBM-5S Mariner patrol bomber with Patrol Bomber Squadron 42, based at the Naval Air Station Kodiac, Alaska. On 2 July 1953, there was a fire and the aircraft made a forced landing in fog. It crashed at sea near Adac Island, Alaska, killing 12 crewmen.

MacPherson was awarded, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.